The first sandhill crane that Rob Koelling, a Powell birding photographer, spotted this year appeared in late February, slightly earlier than expected. 

“They typically arrive in early March and feed in the corn fields along the Shoshone River,” Koelling told WyoFile in an email. 

If the long-legged bird’s huge wingspan and red forehead set against its gray and rusty plumage don’t give it away, its loud, rattling bugle call is unmistakable. And unlike herons, who tuck their necks into an “S” shape in flight, sandhill cranes fly with their necks outstretched, as photographed by Koelling. 

The cranes can be seen this time of year in Wyoming, refueling on an 800-1,000 mile trip from their southern wintering grounds to the northernmost regions of the U.S. and Canada, where they breed in the summer months. 

Some, however, will stick around Wyoming, Koelling told WyoFile, until the autumn, when it’s time to reverse course. 

“When they gather for the night in the fall we have seen groups of upwards of a 1,000 birds,” he said. 

Maggie Mullen reports on state government and politics. Before joining WyoFile in 2022, she spent five years at Wyoming Public Radio.

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  1. Reply

  2. good story.

    i hope they don’t stop in Laramie. i hear the great pelican hunter is chomping at the bit to shoot more birds.

    Reply